


Snow Deep

by dont_hate_me01



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Drama, Gen, Language, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 16:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2819114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dont_hate_me01/pseuds/dont_hate_me01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One, get Gibbs out of the vehicle.  Two, find and rescue the girl.  Three, keep it together and fall apart later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snow Deep

**Author's Note:**

> AN 1: Written for the Tibbs_Yuletide community over on LJ, day 21  
> AN 2: To my beta, AmyH0127, thank you!

"Boss, you sure this is a good idea?" Tony asked for the umpteenth time as they travelled down the narrow road, although a better description should have been a trail. It only consisted of two tracks, which were not even visible as the snow kept on falling down. What made it worse was the deep ditch that ran nearly parallel to the tracks. Gibbs was forced to slow down, but to Tony it still felt as if they were travelling at a neck breaking speed.

Gibbs hands tightened around the steering wheel. "Unlike you, I've not given up hope, DiNozzo. I will not let her die because of some snow coming down. Just shut up."

Gibbs' last words made Tony's head snap back. "And if we crash out here in the middle of nowhere, Gibbs, she will die. For the record, I have not given up on her. I also want her back with her family before Christmas." Tony spoke through clenched teeth. He was tired of Gibbs' foul mood and the fact that the older man continued to take it out on him. Tony always made sure to take the brunt of Gibbs' temper, but this was taking it too far.

"Then stop your whining. Ziva and Abby are right; you act just like a child. Never stopping, always going on and on. For once, just follow an order I give you and do what you're told." The moment the words were out, Gibbs instantly regretted them and knew that they could never be unsaid. He didn't even need to look at Tony to know that his second in command had shut down and he wanted to headslap himself into the next millennium.

The pain that shot through Tony's chest, nearly made him gasp out loud, but he held the sound inside, biting through his lip, his own blood coating the inside of his mouth. It took all of what he had in him not to clutch at his chest, but to keep his hands on his lap. He even managed to keep them in their position, not clenching them into fists.

Gibbs was about to break one of his own rules and apologize, when it happened. A deer ran right out in front of the car and as Gibbs swerved to avoid hitting the animal, the tail of the car jacked and even before Gibbs could think of correcting the wheel, removing his foot from the accelerator, it was too late. The last thing Gibbs heard before the vehicle went over was Tony's hitched breath, metal screeching and then darkness.

**TIBBS YULETIDE 2014**

The first thing Tony became aware of was the cold. He shivered hard and for a moment, he wondered why he did not take a jacket. Already his chest felt tight and as the first cough rumbled through him, he managed to turn and only then realized that he was lying on the ground. It was then at that exact moment that he remembered what had happened. "GIBBS!" He yelled out as he looked around and saw the mangled up vehicle lying on its roof, wheels still spinning. Not even caring about his own possible injuries, he managed to get to his hands and feet before pushing himself up and nearly fell down as a sharp excruciating pain ripped through his abdomen. He gasped for air and had to stabilize himself with his hands as the world spun out of control before he managed to even out his breathing and finally got to his feet. Tony removed his hand that shielded his abdomen and was surprised to see it come back clean. The wetness he felt was only melted snow and not blood as he expected after the pain he felt. Tony shrugged it off, if he was not bleeding, then he was fine and he made his way over to the vehicle, the only goal in mind was to get to Gibbs.

Tony made his way over to the driver's side, and slid down on his stomach, looking in and found Gibbs hanging from his safety belt. It was clear that the older man was unconscious. Blood was streaming from a nasty wound Tony could make out on the side of Gibbs' head. "Gibbs!" Tony called out, but received no response from the injured man. He knew he had to get Gibbs out and it would not be possible from this side. As quickly as his own badly bruised body would allow him to, he made it around to the passenger side. He spared little attention to the mangled up passenger side or the fact that he had managed to walk, or at least, crawl away from the wreckage.

Using his hands, he swiped away the broken glass strewn inside the vehicle and crawled in from the passenger side. His hand trembled as he felt for a pulse and sighed in relief as he found one, although a bit lethargic. "Gibbs, Boss, come on, you've got to wake up." Tony tried to wake the senior agent, but with no success.

In the cramped space, he managed to do a quick assessment of the unconscious agent before he crawled back out again. He couldn't risk moving Gibbs on his own, not knowing what the extent of his injuries were. It was clear that Gibbs was pinned into the vehicle. The seat, bent in such a way that even if he cut the seat belt loose, Gibbs would still be trapped, the dashboard had been pushed forward towards the steering wheel, trapping Gibbs legs and creating another major hindrance. He reached for his phone and groaned in frustration when he realized that it was no longer in his pocket. First, he looked through the car, but couldn't find it. He went back to where he first woke up, but had to stop searching as another bout of coughing nearly brought him to his knees. He wiped his hand against his jeans and didn't notice the speckles of blood that now stained his trousers.

Finally, he found his phone in the snow and wanted to scream when he found it busted. His only hope was that Gibbs' phone was still in a working condition. He made his way back to the car, this time pulling off his jacket, as he knew he needed something to stop the bleeding head wound. Tony crawled back into the car and hated the fact that Gibbs looked paler than before; a tint of gray now covered his features.

"Come on, Boss, hold on. I'll get us out of here, just hold on, please." The last word came out as a mere whisper as he finally managed to bind his jacket around Gibbs' head and now concentrated on reaching deeper into the car and searching for Gibbs' phone which was also no longer attached to his belt. Tony spotted the phone lying near the back window on the roof. He would have to wiggle himself into the tight space to get to the phone and Tony knew he had no choice; he needed to get help. Making sure not to jolt Gibbs in any way, he managed to crawl through the tight space and finally grabbed hold of the phone. Still lying in the tight space he flipped the phone open and sighed when he saw it was still in a working condition and then a smell hit him - gas. "Shit," Tony knew his time had just run out - he had to get Gibbs out and he had to do it fast. He slithered backwards and started to look for a way to get Gibbs out quickly. "Gibbs," Tony tried again to get his boss to wake up, but without success. Tony weighed his options, not that he had much to weigh in the first place, but finally came to the conclusion that whatever he did, it would involve cutting Gibbs loose, freeing his legs and then dragging him out and with a leaking gas problem he had to work fast.

"Come on, Gibbs, any time you want to wake up and help, would be wonderful." Tony started talking and kept up the banter as he used his ever present knife to cut Gibbs lose and then systematically started to take the seat apart, grateful that he spent many hours watching Abby doing just that. For a moment, he thought about what Gibbs had said and he had to push the emotional pain down. The fact that he was breathing with more difficulty and that the pain in his abdomen threatened to rob him of the little breath, he still had and that made his hands tremble did not enter his mind, he only thought of one thing, getting Gibbs out.

Tony was unaware of the time that passed; he only concentrated on the task and after what to him felt like hours, he finally got the seat in such a position that when he cut Gibbs loose, he would be able to remove Gibbs from the car. He had one last issue. If he cut Gibbs loose, the man would fall and further injuries were possible. Tony had only one option - he had to get underneath Gibbs and when he cut the man loose, he would act as a buffer when Gibbs fell downwards. It was with even more difficulty that he managed to wiggle himself underneath Gibbs, the shards of glass poking and cutting into his back, but he paid it no heed. "Okay, hold on, Boss. One last thing to do and we can get you out of here," Tony grunted as he finally got his knife in underneath the seat belt and started to cut through. It didn't take him long and he steeled himself to catch Gibbs, but was still unprepared for the weight that crashed into him. He couldn't stifle the scream that escaped as Gibbs' finally landed on him and he became aware of the agonizing pain that flared up from his midsection and threatened the black spots that danced in the corner of his eyes to overtake his vision completely. Tony couldn't move, he could feel himself shivering from head to toe, and to make matters worse, he started to feel nauseous as well, bile rising up in his throat, the acidic taste pushing up in his throat and he had to swallow. He finally got his breathing under control and the pain dulled to a more bearable level and then started the difficult task in getting Gibbs out of the potential death trap.

Later on Tony would have no recollection in how he pulled, pushed, dragged Gibbs out of the wreck and out of the danger circle if the vehicle decided to blow. It was only when he finally got Gibbs to safety he remembered the phone he'd shoved down his pocket and he reached for it, hands still trembling hard. As he flipped Gibbs' phone open he couldn't help but to sigh in relief as he found that the phone was still working and even more importantly, he had signal. He scrolled down until he found the local LEO's number and pressed the call button. He knew it would be quicker for the police to send help, then what it would take Abby and the rest of the team to organize help and get down here. He would call her as soon as he got Gibbs the medical help he needed. He kept the conversation short and was happy to remember the last road marker, giving the rescuers an indication where they were. After ending the call, he checked Gibbs over again and sighed in relief when he found no broken bones, just bad bruising from the crash and the head wound which had finally stopped bleeding. He was concerned about the fact that Gibbs had yet to regain consciousness. Tony spotted an extra jacket of his that he'd left in the trunk a few weeks back and made his way over to the strewn items to see what else he could salvage. He found a blanket and the small first aid kit, which he took to Gibbs, and made the senior agent as comfortable as possible, making sure he kept him warm. His own pain flared up again, but he pushed it down determined not to let Gibbs down. He would show the man that he was just as committed in finding the kidnapped girl as Gibbs and the rest of the team. He'd already found his weapon and had secured Gibbs' as well. As soon as the Calvary arrived, he would take one of the police cars and set out in finding the girl. He was not about to leave her just because they were involved in an accident.

Tony was relieved when the rescue team finally arrived. He looked on as the EMTs checked Gibbs over, denied that he himself needed any treatment and refused to be checked out. He managed to get one of the officers to go with him, as well as a few extra units and as Gibbs got loaded into the back of the ambulance, he got into the passenger seat of the cruiser and set off to the suspected location they thought held the kidnapped girl. He could only hope they were still in time.

"Abby," Tony started the call the moment the cruiser pulled away. "You and Ducky need to get over to the Riverwood County Hospital. There was an accident and Gibbs got hurt." He had to pull the phone away from his ear as she started to yell in his ear. "Abby, Abby," he called her name until she calmed down and he could continue. "He's got a nasty head wound and is unconscious, but the EMTs are optimistic." He sighed as she started to ask questions and he cut her short. "I don't have time, Abby. Lucy is still out there. Get over to the hospital; I'll meet you there later." He ended the call and grunted as the cruiser went a bit too fast around a corner, the back end of the cruiser jacked dangerously before the officer managed to bring the car under control again.

"You all right, Agent DiNozzo?" Officer Patterson asked in concern. He had noted how pale the man was when they first arrived at the accident scene and thought it was unwise of the man to refuse medical attention, but could understand the urgency of the situation as well. The fact that he was now grayer than white and the thin sweat sheen that covered his face made him once again doubt the decision of bringing the agent out here.

"Just a bit bruised, nothing to worry about." Tony tried to pacify the troubled officer and then continued to fill in the man about what they might expect. Finally, they reached the abandoned cabin deep inside of the woods and he quickly organized the troops.

In the end, luck was on their side as they stormed the cabin and found Lucy alone, unharmed, except for some bruises, and whisked her away. They discussed their options on how to find Petty Officer McDonald when a call came through telling them that local police had apprehended him and he was currently in custody.

Tony reached out and shook Patterson's hand. "Thanks for the help, really appreciate it."

"No problem, Agent DiNozzo." Patterson frowned as he felt how clammy Tony's hand was. "You sure you're all right?"

"Just peachy," Tony grinned. "Let's get back; I've got a suspect to interrogate." He would only return to the hospital after obtaining a signed confession.

Patterson looked the man next to him up and down before nodding his head. "Let's go." He already made plans to get one of his EMT friends to come and check Tony out when they get back to the precinct. Something inside of him screamed that the agent was in trouble, but the stubborn man kept on saying he was fine. If he hadn't seen the accident site, he might have believed him, but he had, and he didn't.

**TIBBS YULETIDE 2014**

Abby stood next to Gibbs' bed and looked down at the man sleeping. Gibbs had finally regained consciousness, but was in a foul mood until Ducky finally managed to calm him down. Now a few hours later he was settled in his own room sleeping, but not peacefully. Abby was concerned. Gibbs kept on mumbling, moving his head from side to side, arguing under his breath, but talking too softly so that no one could make out the words. Every now and then she did hear one word that made her feel even more alarmed - Tony's name. And it made her angry. Instead of being with Gibbs, Tony was off gallivanting, once again showing his immature side. She was going to tell him exactly what she thought of his actions when he finally arrived.

**TIBBS YULETIDE 2014**

Officer Patterson looked on in concern as the man next to him got out stiffly from the car. The fact that DiNozzo stumbled and nearly face planted on the sidewalk was more reason for worry. "Agent DiNozzo," Patterson got around the car within seconds and managed to grab the man before he really fell down and pulled him back to lean against the car.

"I'm fine," Tony tried to pull away, but found himself pushed back again.

"No, you're not fine." Patterson barked as he opened the passenger door and made Tony sit down again. "Stay there." He reached for his phone and called for assistance and as he closed his phone, his worst nightmare came true when DiNozzo's eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped backwards. "Shit," he looked around and saw a few of his fellow officers. "I need some help over here." Together they managed to get the tall agent out of the car and down on the side of the road. Patterson kneeled down and was concerned when he noticed the blue tint around the agent's mouth. His breathing was very shallow and raspy and by the lines around his eyes, he knew that even unconscious DiNozzo was in some serious pain.

**TIBBS YULETIDE 2014**

**24 Hours Later**

"Easy, Jethro. It's quite a bump you have there on your head." Ducky spoke softly as his friend finally started to wake up. He wouldn't have said it aloud, especially not in front of Abby, but he was worried about the fact that it took Gibbs such a long time to wake up again. The only reason why he didn't panic was that the latest scan showed the swelling inside Gibbs' head was going down and there was still no bleeding. He knew Gibbs would suffer from one serious headache and his body that would ache for the next few days.

Gibbs frowned and groaned as the harsh lights assaulted his eyes. He managed to cover his eyes with his hand and could hear Ducky moving around, switching off the lights before returning to the bed.

"Sorry, Jethro. They’re off now." Ducky whispered, as he took his seat and waited for Jethro to open his eyes.

"Ducky?" Gibbs frowned as he blinked a few times to bring everything around him into focus. "Hospital?"

"Fine observation there, Jethro." Ducky tried to keep the mood light. "How are you feeling?"

Gibbs looked around and frowned. There was something amiss and he couldn't think about what it was. "Where am I?" He ignored Ducky's question on his health.

"Riverwood County Hospital," Ducky replied. "I've answered your question, you prepared to answer mine?"

"I've got a headache, Ducky. What happened?" Gibbs snapped, his whole body felt like it had been wrung out and he did not have the patience to play twenty questions, especially when he had no clue what had happened.

Ducky licked at his bottom lip nervously before he spoke up. "There was an accident, you got pretty banged up, but are on the road to recovery now. A few days of bed rest and all will be well."

Gibbs frowned at Ducky's words. Something was amiss. He looked around the room as if the answers would appear out of nowhere. "What were we doing in Redwood?"

Ducky frowned at Gibbs' question. He expected some memory problems, but at least hoped, that Gibbs would've remembered the reason why they were in Riverwood. "What's the last thing you do remember, Jethro?"

If it weren't for the fact that he would've aggravated his headache, Gibbs would've yelled out of frustration. "I'm not in the mood, Ducky. Just tell me, what the heck were we doing in Riverwood and where the hell is DiNozzo?" He did not miss the way Ducky cringed at his question and a sickening feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. "Where is DiNozzo, Ducky? What happened?"

Ducky knew he had to tell Gibbs what had happened. He sighed and then started to talk. "You and Anthony came here to follow up on a kidnapping case. There was an accident and from what we could gather, he was thrown free. He'd managed to get you out and contacted the locals for help. He then went with the police and they managed to rescue the kidnapped girl." Ducky stopped and rubbed his hand tiredly over his face.

"What are you not telling me, Duck? Is DiNozzo all right, if he ali..?"

Ducky held up his hands. "He's alive, Jethro, he's alive." He actually sighed again and sat down heavily in the chair next to Gibbs' bed. "But, things are not good, Jethro. He's in ICU. He's suffered massive internal bleeding. His spleen had to be removed, while his pancreas, liver and kidneys suffered damage. They are especially concerned about his kidneys as they are not working properly."

Gibbs had heard enough. He had to get to Tony. He knew there was something he was missing, but had no idea what it was. He also knew that now was not the time to dwell on that. Gibbs started to remove the IV line from his hand and at the same time threw the sheet that covered his legs and attempted to get up.

"What are you doing, Jethro? You cannot possibly get up. You are still suffering from a severe head injury" He tried to push his friend back into the bed.

"Let go of me, Duck." Gibbs growled. He felt faint, but he wasn't going to let that get him under. He tried to get up again and growled as his legs gave way and he found himself seated again on the bed. "Damn it, Duck, help me, here." It irked him to ask for help, but he had a feeling that if he tried to do this on his own, he would only manage to face plant and not get to Tony.

Ducky knew he was fighting a losing battle. "Only if you promise me to take it easy, Jethro."

"Yes, I promise, now help me." Gibbs pushed himself up again, only to have Ducky push him back again.

"Then we will do it my way. Stay." Ducky left a fuming Gibbs behind as he went to fetch a wheelchair and when he returned, he only cleared his throat when Gibbs started to object. "Let's get you over there." He didn't add that he knew Gibbs would be the right medicine for Anthony. He only hoped that it wasn't too late.

**TIBBS YULETIDE 2014**

**Five Days Later**

"Ducky?" Gibbs voice was horse, dark rings underlined his eyes and he looked as if he could keel over any moment. He came to his feet unsteadily but managed to take the few steps until he reached Tony's side. His senior agent was in a coma and as the days passed, the doctors were starting to lose hope. Already he yelled at two, banned another from Tony's room and if it wasn't for Ducky and Brad who came all the way from Bethesda, he would've most likely strangled a fourth.

Ducky smiled as he saw what had drawn Gibbs' attention. Tony's hand was moving restlessly on the bedspread and by the way Tony's head was rolling, he had a feeling that the injured young man was finally waking up from his coma. "I'll get, Brad." Ducky knew that Gibbs needed the few minutes alone with his second in command. He was worried about his friend. Something had happened prior to the accident and although Gibbs still maintained that he remembered nothing, Ducky had a suspicion that some of Gibbs' memories had returned, leaving Gibbs with unanswered questions and something of a guilty conscious for whatever reason.

Gibbs only nodded in Ducky's direction as his friend exited the hospital room; instead, he focused his sole attention on the man lying in the bed. "Tony?" He asked gently as Tony moved again, his head rolling from side to side and finally he was rewarded as Tony managed to open his eyes. He could see that Tony had no idea where he was and he immediately tried to put the other man at ease. "You're in hospital, but you'll be all right." He had taken hold of Tony's hand and was squeezing it hard and it felt right. It was something he had wanted to do for so many years, but due to his own stupidity he's deprived himself of such a simple pleasure and now after these few days he was going to do everything in his power to set things right. He had been plagued by nightmares the past few nights and had finally managed to put everything together. When he remembered the last conversation he had with the man who was always loyal to him he nearly lost his meager dinner he had that night. He had made a vow, one he intended to uphold. It was time he stood up and claimed what belonged to his heart and stopped hiding behind boats in basements and silly rules.

"Boss?" Emotions showed on Tony's face as he realized that Gibbs was there with him, holding his hand, but more than that, he still remembered what Gibbs had told him in the car and by the look on Gibbs' face the man did too. Other things were foggy, but he knew Gibbs would fill him in on what he needed to know.

"I'm sorry, Tony." Gibbs shook his head. "And no, apologizing is not a sign of weakness. I have been a fool for the last fourteen years and it stops now. We have many things to talk about, and we will, but for now, I only wanted to tell you, I had no right to say you were acting childish. You always have my back, something that I tend to forget and I know you're dedicated to each and every case that crosses our path and you never give up. The whole team needs an attitude change towards you, and it will start with me."

Tony licked his lips and was grateful when Gibbs reached for a glass and tilted it towards his lips, letting a few droplets of the precious liquid flow into his mouth. He groaned when Gibbs took the glass away, but also understood that drinking too much water may not be a good idea. "Thank you." He swallowed his throat still dry. "What happened?"

"You mean after you rescued me from the car and then went out and rescued Lucy?" Gibbs turned serious. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were injured, Tony?"

"Had to get it you out and couldn't let that little girl down, Gibbs. You would've done the same."

Gibbs had no reply to that statement, because Tony's words were true. He would've done the same, but Tony had the tendency to put everyone else first and never had any regard to his own safety. "I do think it's time for a change in the rules." He smiled when Tony looked down at their interlocked fingers. "Rule 12 too, but the one rule I want to make above all others are that you're not allowed to hide any injuries to yourself. And you know I'm not talking about the paper cuts. I'm talking about the broken ribs, bullet and knife wounds which you always make off as being just a scratch." Gibbs bowed his head. "This time it was too close for comfort, Tony." Gibbs had to take a deep breath before he could tell Tony the injuries he sustained. "I'm serious, Tony. I don't think I would've survived if you didn't make it."

Tony had gone pale when Gibbs explained the injuries he'd sustained. Not for one moment during the time he got Gibbs out of the overturned vehicle or when he went out to find Lucy did he think that the injuries he might have sustained could be of such a grave nature. He could now understand why Gibbs was so upset. "I'm sorry." He cringed as his body started to complain, the different injuries and surgery wounds started to make him aware just why he was in hospital.

Gibbs could see the pain creeping into Tony's features and knew it was time for Brad to come in and check Tony out. "You're in pain and that's not something I want. We have lots to talk about, Tony, and I promise you, we will. But I have to tell you Tony, I've been a fool. I thought by pushing you away, making sure to keep you at arm's length, I could make these feelings I have for you go away, but this accident put everything in perspective. I can't lose you. I'll be a fool to even try to attempt that." Gibbs gripped Tony's hand hard. "Get some rest, and we'll talk again." Gibbs leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the lips of the man he'd come to depend on, come to love with everything in him. "I love you, Tony DiNozzo and I'm going to make sure you realize just how much."

Tony's eyes grew large at the kiss and couldn't help but to want more. "You taking me out on a date when I get out of here, Boss?"

Gibbs laughed and he kissed Tony again, this time with more passion and both men sighed as Tony's lips parted and Gibbs could deepen the kiss. The kiss lingered for a while until, with regret, Gibbs ended their first kiss, knowing that now would not be a good time to start something they could not finish. "We'll go on a date, DiNozzo, anything you want to do, but only if you call me Jethro. Never want to be your boss when we're in a relationship."

"Jethro." Tony nodded his head and reached for Gibbs' hand just as the door opened and Ducky with Brad short on his heels entered the room. He smiled as Ducky saw them holding hands and then the old ME winked at him. It looked like Ducky was not surprised at the turn of events and it made Tony smile as well. He couldn't wait to go on his first date with Jethro and wondered if Gibbs would mind if they went through some of the neighborhoods to watch the Christmas lights. It was something that he always wanted to do, but never got the chance. He would love to be able to watch the lights with Jethro next to him. For him it would be the perfect first date.

**THE END**


End file.
